


All-Seeing

by LeRomancier



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-05-29 10:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6370624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeRomancier/pseuds/LeRomancier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezreal and his partner find a strange stone that has been lost for centuries. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones who have been searching for it; a power criminal kingpin has had his eye on it for years now, and he isn't about to let some brat take it from him. On the run from assassins, looters, and hitmen, Ezreal and his partner must race across Runeterra to return the stone to its resting place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aquaterre

I looked down below me and thought, based on the distance I’d covered, that it would be a fair time for a break. It had been a pretty long climb. I pulled myself over a decent ledge, buckled my harness on my belt loop, and took a well-deserved seat, wiping a sheen of sweat from my forehead. There was a slight sting right smack in the middle, and I realized that I’d gotten a scratch, maybe from squeezing through two difficult rocks before. It was fine though. I’d been through a lot worse. 

I looked up at the spotless sky, then turned around to see how much of this rock I’d be climbing today. When I flew over here, it took me one look to map out its height, width, and other dimensions, but even someone as cool as me couldn’t see what I was looking for at that distance. I was kind of excited when I realized I’d be climbing, no doubt. Plus the talisman I was scoping for was pretty decent – a charm left behind by migrating Noxians, apparently. I think Noxians are the scum of the earth, but Swain was making some pretty sweet offers, and the way Darius’s axe-cleaver-death-scythe gleamed in the moonlight that night…you can probably guess where my priorities were.

The mystic glove shimmered and pulsed on my right hand, catching my attention. Sometimes I found myself just staring at it, mystified by the fact that of all people to find such an artifact, it was me. I wasn’t really religious, but the thing was too much to be a coincidence. Fate had allowed me to choose this particular glove or, rather, it had chosen me. Either way, I was grateful.

A bright shape flitted into view, obscuring the sun for a moment. I took note of the short stature, zipping wings, and lithe body and recognized my partner, Dmitri. Dmitri was half-man half-fairy (don’t ask me how that worked out), with a body as agile as an acrobat and bright fiery wings that never seemed to stop moving. He was potentially the only Noxian native I liked, mostly because he acknowledged how backwards the system was and never tried to hide it.

At the moment, Dmitri didn’t look too happy. He planted his hands on his hips. “And just what do you think you’re doing? Is this Christmas?”

I wiped some more sweat. “Yes, Christmas in July. That makes a lot of sense,” I said sarcastically.

“Well, the fact that you’re just lounging here, soaking in the sunlight and getting an tan implies that you think it’s break time,” he said back, fighting a grin.

“Just a moment. We’ve been climbing for two hours. I think I deserve some rest.” I looked him up and down. “Well, I’ve been climbing for two hours. You’ve been… you’ve been doing whatever the hell you’ve been doing.” I yawned and lay on my back, closing my eyes.

“You mean all the work?”

“I’m sweating like a pig and probably burned about twenty thousand calories already. That’s work.” I yawned again.

“As far as I’m concerned, all you’ve been doing is getting a workout. Which is equivalent to nothing. You haven’t even tried to find the charm, let alone something remotely relevant to what we’re doing here. You’re renowned for having the eye of an explorer, but your ‘eye’ hasn’t caught anything of value yet.”

I cracked an eye. “Not true. I found an interesting looking boulder a second ago.” 

“You’re just lazy. We’d be done by now if you didn’t take so many breaks.”

“This is the only break I’ve taken so far.”

“Exactly! That just proves my point. You’re lazy!”

“Says the guy with wings,” I laughed, closing my eyes again. “You could scale this rock in two seconds if you wanted. One and a half if you tried hard.”

“These are nothing.” I could imagine him stroking his wings tenderly. The guy was crazy about them, constantly keeping them groomed and clean. With that thought in mind, I aimed and shot a small bolt of energy. His yelp of surprise and outrage told me I’d hit home. “Hey! No firing!”

“No firing?” I chuckled, opening my eyes. “Okay, if you say so. On one condition: no flying.”

Dmitri landed softly and folded his arms, the sun illuminating his orange hair. “Please. I could fly up and down this mountain twice and you’d still be behind. I could finish twice as quickly as you.”

I smelled a challenge, one aimed more at getting the job done than actually winning. But a challenge all the same. 

I do not back down from challenges.

I grinned mischievously. “You’re on.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dmitri came back down a little too quickly, so of course I didn’t believe he’d gone all the way to the top. I stared at him and realized by his confused expression that something wasn’t right.

“You ever heard of sapphires growing on plateaus, Ez?” 

I squinted. “Uh, no.” I reconsidered. “Well maybe, if there’s a cave. They usually grow in bunches, you know, in one spot.”

“How about, um, one sapphire?”

My brows furrowed. “One?”

“Climb up about fifty more feet. I’m not crazy.” He disappeared.

Ten grueling and sweaty minutes later, I hauled myself over another ledge, this one leading into a cave-like opening. The distinct yet soft blue light caught my eye immediately, even though Dmitri was standing right in front of it. I stood up and brushed my clothes, taking a step inside. “What are we looking at again? Last time I checked, sapphires don’t glow.” He moved aside and let me get a better look. 

It wasn’t a sapphire. That much I could out. It’s radiant blue exterior seemed to bleed onto the rock around it, and if I looked hard enough, I could make out little brown specks and streaks, like pierces of island against a brilliant blue ocean, white clouds dotting it. It looked sort of like a mini-Earth. The gem emanated a type of silent energy, one that we could both feel, one that was both comforting and warm and suffocating at the same time. I felt an uncontrollable urge to take it and stash away, protect it. Its aura felt powerful, everything about it did. But then again, I was never one to obsess over power. So was it that kind? The evil kind that took the minds of its pursuers and turned them into lunatics? I reached over to pick it up.

My glove suddenly became hot, burning my hand. Hissing, I jerked it back and tried to wave the pain off.

“What?” Dmitri asked, concerned. 

“I don’t know,” I replied, looking at the glove. Its glowing orb was becoming brighter and brighter by the second, as if competing with the new artifact we’d found. “I don’t think it likes that gem.”

A strange sensation. I could feel power building up in my right hand, but I wasn’t planning to shoot anyone or anything. Fearing the worst, I quickly pointed away from us just as a massive bolt of energy erupted, striking a wall and ripping rock away. A boulder loosened and fell, and the whole structure started to shake. 

“Uh,” I said, staring at the gaping hole in the cave. “Is that supposed to happen?”

“Ezreal!” Dmitri said, alarmed. “You just blew away a part of this thing’s foundation!”

I gripped a wall to stay balanced. “What?” I called, barely hearing him. The shaking intensified. “What did you say?”

“This thing is going to implode!”

A large rock fell inches away from me, driving his message home. I sprinted for the cave’s exit, weaving between falling rocks, sustaining a few hits. Dust gathered around and started to travel down my throat and my eyes. I coughed and tried to focus on the bright exit. An orange blur. Dmitri was out before I could even call for help, but the opening was still there, inviting and promising safety. I got to the opening before realizing a major problem: I’d climbed up here, and as far as I could see, the only exit was a cliff, leading to a very far ground. I looked behind me and saw giant rocks raining, decimating everything below. My odds were pretty bad. Either I stay inside and get crushed, or I jump out and count my blessings. I hated this. Bets and risks were Twisted Fate’s thing. 

I noticed Dmitri soaring erratically above, probably looking frantically for my corpse. “Hey!” I cried, waving my arms and motioning my predicament. His eagle eyes found me and he dipped into a very steep dive. I raised my hands and caught his, allowing him to heave me up just as a cascade of rocks fell right where I was a second ago. The ledge, unable to hold the extra weight, gave in and released an avalanche of rock, dust, and sand down the cliff side. I hoped no one was sightseeing today. 

Dmitri exhaled deeply gripped my wrists, digging his nails into my skin. His wings flapped with a fury that was unlike him. I couldn’t believe it. For once, I was seeing him become tired.

“Uh Dmitri, we’re falling,” I noted as we descended slowly.

He looked sharply at me. “Of course we’re falling! You’re not a poro!”

“You sure about that?”

He rolled his eyes as we got closer to the ground. He dropped me and collapsed on the ground beside me, panting as if he’d run a mile. I was pretty beat myself; bleeding almost everywhere, dust and sand in my clothes and head. I shook and ran a hand through my messy hair, inspecting Dmitri from the side of my eye. 

“You okay?” I inquired. His wings slumped, touching the ground. He never let those things get dirty. “You’d better not die on me.”

He sighed. “I’m fine,” he answered, grinning weakly. “You just weigh a ton. Maybe you should let up on the biscuits.”

I laughed. “I don’t know what happened back there,” I said, thinking. “That’s never happened before. I never lose control of my powers. And I never just shoot things.” I hoisted myself on my elbows and looked at him. “It was that gem. Just being near it made my glove go haywire.”

He shrugged, then smiled, rebellious. “Oh, I don’t suppose you mean…this gem?”

And lo and behold, the idiot pulled the beautiful stone out. I apprehensively checked my glove for any warnings, but it seemed fine, ordinary. 

For some reason, this crept me out the most. 

“Get rid of that thing,” I said, eyeing it mistrustfully. “It almost killed us.”

“No, Ez, you almost killed us, and come on! Don’t you want to find out what it is, what it does?”

“No,” I replied bluntly. “Besides, that’s not even what we came here for. We’re looking for a Noxian charm, not some ocean rock.”

“Please,” Dmitri said, waving a hand. “I found that charm hours ago.”

“What?” I exclaimed, outraged. “And you didn’t—”

“That’s what you get for being lazy! If I saw you making a conscious effort to find the charm I would have told you. But nope, you wanted to lounge around and think of nothing.”

“You’re a terrible person.”

“I had you in mind,” he said, shrugging.

“You’re a terrible person.”

“A terrible person who saved your life. And got my wings dirty, too.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but couldn’t. “Huh. Touché.”


	2. Noxians...I Hate Those Guys

When Dmitri and I walked into Swain’s office, we were greeted by his unrelenting, unwavering orange eyes, seeming to peer into our souls. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I was no stranger to dealing with Swain, and I knew one of his greatest attributes was his unbeatable staring-contest prowess, but every time he laid those intelligent and scouring eyes on me, well, it was unnerving. He was sitting with his hands folded, as if he were waiting for us to enter, and that terrifying bird perched stiffly on his shoulder, watching me through slit eyes. I slid my gaze and noticed that Dmitri looked just as uncomfortable, and the fact that Darius, who hulked in a corner holding that death scythe, was giving us both a steely, merciless glare didn’t help.

I tentatively pulled the charm from my pocket and placed it on Swain’s desk. His beady eyes followed my hands.

Silence for a moment.

“Well, looks like our job is done,” Dmitri said with a nervous laugh, cutting the quiet. He looked at his wrist. “Would you—oh my, would you look at the time? It is late. Later than mother would like us staying out. I guess you know what that means. We’d better get going. There are mountains to see and caves to explore and—”

“Wait,” Swain whispered calmly. “We’re not done here.”

“But—”

“You have something else.”

“Nowedon’t,” Dmitri said quickly, totally conspicuous. I gave him a pained look.

“Yes, you do.”

“Nope. Nada. Ni. Non. Zilch. We have nothing.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“As sure as a human fairy can be. Pretty sure.”

Darius curled a lip and pointed his axe. I stiffened. “Whatever else it is you have, hand it over, with or without all five of your fingers.”

Dmitri took one good look at Darius’s scythe and fished around in his pocket.

“Hey wait a minute,” I said, putting a hand out to stop him. Darius eyed me. I gulped. “Even if we did have this extra artifact, and I’m not implying that we do, what’s it to you guys? I thought all you wanted was some Noxian charm or whatever.”

“That is all we wanted,” Swain replied smoothly, spreading his hands. “But I saw Dmitri rummaging around his pockets there and noticed a brilliant blue stone in there. It wouldn’t be the Aquaterre stone, now would it?”

He just laid the question down and set it on the floor, expecting one if not both of us to answer. I stared at him as if he were crazy. “The Aqua-what now?”

“Aquaterre Stone,” Swain reiterated. “You’d know it if you had it. Blue, pretty, mesmerizing.” His eyes widened. “Ezreal. You have a certain look in your eyes. So you do have the stone.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I deflected, shifting my eyes.

“Give it to me!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Please. Don’t play dumb or waste my time,” Darius snarled from behind. “You heard Swain loud and clear. Cough it up.”

Something ignited in me: rebellion. I don’t like being told what to do, especially when it involved my things. Sure, Swain probably knew more about it than I did, and maybe he even had a greater purpose for it, but I found it. So it was mine. Finder’s keepers, right? I narrowed my eyes as the spark became a flame. I had no idea what this blue rock did, but I would not go down easy.

And I was willing to go head-to-head with the Noxian Guillotine for it.

I scowled. “No,” I said firmly, folding my arms. “It’s ours.”

Dmitri finally found the stone and pulled it out. “Is this what you’re talking about? I guess I understand why it’s called the Aquaterre. Water, earth, that’s kind of what it looks like—”

Suddenly my glove began to burn once more, illuminating blindingly bright. Swain watched with interest. “Uh oh,” I muttered.

“What the hell is going on?” Darius demanded, his eyes rooted to the glowing orb. He glowered at me. “I really hope you aren’t trying anything funny, Ezreal,” he snarled, spitting my name. “You don’t want to regret that.”

“I assure you,” I replied, holding my gloved hand and trying to control it as my hand shook. “I’m not trying to be funny.”

I knew it was fruitless. The glove seemed to have a mind of its own now, and it was hell-bent on making sure that the gem wouldn’t win. I gave Dmitri a helpless look, causing him to back five paces. As if five paces would be enough. Power surged into my right hand, this time feeling about ten times as massive as before, and I knew that this one would be a lot worse than it was then. Without thinking I aimed wildly, hoping no one got hurt.

The blast went flying towards Darius. I feared for the worst as he stared, completely unable to react in time, and the bolt struck him square in the torso. The impact sent his massive form soaring. He slammed into the back wall, cement and debris falling like confetti from the force of the hit. He looked up for a second, dazed, shook his head, then settled his burning gaze on me.

I have never seen a man so furious before.

Darius stood shakily and gripped his death scythe with a new fury, taking two steps towards me, his face contorted with rage. I put my hands up in an I’m-innocent stance and considered pleading my case, but I doubted he would hear me at that point. Darius had entered a completely insane stage of bloodrage, and nothing I would say could bring him back. Dmitri and I turned and ran just as he took a running start, Swain crying “Bring me back that stone!” and slamming his fists against the desk. I zoomed out of the office and down the building’s hall, keeping eyes ahead and behind. Darius charged forward at wicked speeds, each step bringing him a yard closer and closer. I knew running wouldn’t be enough to evade this monster. He swung the death scythe, aiming for my throat, but I was quicker, teleporting about three yards away and dashing out the building’s door.

I pelted into the thick brush and started to weave and wiggle, trying to throw Darius off. It wasn’t working. That man really could run, and I guess the frenzy he was in gave him a vision boost too. Try as I might I couldn’t evade him. I sent two quick bolts behind me and pushed further just has he cleaved a tree clean in two. Splinters scratched my eyes and blinded me for a moment, but that was more than enough time for him. I recognized the larger-than-life leap from anywhere, but this time, there was no recall or respawn. My mind clicked at just the right time, and I teleported a short distance away at the very last minute. Darius landed his axe right on the spot I’d been seconds earlier, decimating it and leaving a scar on the rock. Feeling the color drain from my face, I continued to run.

“Ez!” I looked to my right and spotted Dmitri by his blazing wings. A spinning axe buried itself in a tree inches from his right. I heard an exhilarated laugh. Draven? I shot a quick burst towards his attacker.

“They’re gaining on us. We’re not going to get anywhere on foot.” He swerved and dodged another axe. “Our best bet is finding some place to hide. I was thinking—DUCK!”

I ducked just in time to avoid a spinning axe. A few golden hairs rained.

“We’re gonna need to find somewhere,” he continued. “It’s starting to rain and I just groomed my wings this morning.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fly ahead and find a safe spot. When you do, come back and lead me there. I’ll try to distract him while you get busy.”

He nodded in affirm and soared up above.

Exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I found myself slowing to a stop. _I’ll distract him while you get busy_. Funny how I said those words without having a clue as to how I would do it and stay alive, let alone give Dmitri time to search. I tried to weigh my odds. Dealing with an executioner and a general. What makes those type of people tick? Could I get into their heads and maybe buy time, then make a run for it? Try to deflect and manipulate? I doubted I had time for that.

My thoughts were confirmed as two trees shattered and Darius’s large form erupted into the clearing, hulking over me. I took a step back.

“Alright,” I said, putting my hands up once more as he approached. “I just want you to know before you do whatever it is you want to do with me. That shot I took back in Swain’s office was a complete and utter mistake. It was an accident."

"So was the fact that I didn't butcher you the moment you walked in," he snarled back.

“The stone that you guys want messes with my glove,” I tried to explain. “It makes it go crazy. You just happened to be in the way.”

“Just like you’ll happen to be dead by the time I’m done with you,” he said, swinging. I dodged a fatal blow that grounded a tree. Another strike sent me tumbling, barely missing his barrage. I prayed Dmitri would appear soon. I wouldn’t be able to stall much longer. “I’ll bring Swain your skin as an overcoat.”

Christ, I thought. “Something tells me,” I huffed, ducking, “that you’ve felt this way for quite a while.” Another duck, but not fast enough. The blade slit my forearm. I hissed. “How long have you been plotting to kill me?”

"Please,” he scoffed. “I knew from the beginning that we couldn't trust you."

"What do you mean 'from the beginning?' Wait, did you plan this?"

Darius rolled his eyes. "Of course we planned this, you idiot. We knew that you were one of the best, and we also knew that the nomads who hid the stone were captured and killed here in the mountains of Noxus. Swain figured that he gave you enough small tasks and made the search scope wide enough, you'd eventually find the stone somewhere. And that would be our time to take it."

"What's so special about it anyway?" I asked, keeping my guard up though I knew I was buying time by keeping him chatty. "I've read whole libraries about artifacts and I've never heard of it. If it's that special, why has no one made a fuss about it? What does it do?"

"I'm not here to talk or play school with you," he growled, taking a running start and swinging the axe. "I'm here to take your life!"

A tap on my shoulder saved me. I looked behind and realized that my prayers had been answered when Dmitri peered through the brush, nodding once before disappearing again. Giving Darius a cheeky grin, I teleported behind him, causing his momentum to fling him forward. With an enraged cry, Darius spun and came at me, no mercy in his eyes. Feeling bold, I ran towards him too, giving a battle cry of my own. Just as he came close enough to slice my head off, I teleported behind him again and bolted in Dmitri’s direction, following his vibrant wings without a glance back.

“Cutting it close there, Ez,” Dmitri laughed as we sped away. “I found some caves not far from here. We can camp there for some time.”

“A cave?” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “That’s so unoriginal.”

“Relax. Me, being the smart, handsome half-breed that I am, I thought about twenty thousand steps ahead and chose a random cave in myriad of caves.”

“How many?”

He shrugged while fluidly avoiding a spinning axe. “From a regular sweep, I’d say about twenty. No one would spend their time exploring caves, let alone a Noxian.”

I made a face. “I spend my time exploring caves,” I said, pouting playfully.

“Let me rephrase. No one _cool_ wastes their time exploring caves.”

I teleported a short distance away as Darius took another blind swing. The caves loomed not too far ahead. “I’m cool,” I muttered darkly.


	3. Bets and Gambles

“It’s called the what stone now?” Twisted Fate said with a leering grin, rearranging the cards in his hands. “Agua-pear? That sounds like a watery fruit.”

Escaping and finding refuge in this Noxian bar in some Noxian city hadn’t been easy. Dmitri freaked out when he discovered a cut on his left wing, and the commotion led Darius and Draven right to us. If it hadn’t been for some quick thinking, a back opening, and a makeshift mouth gag, Swain might’ve had a new skull and a pair of wings decorating his office. We snuck out of sight and managed to travel through the woods until we found civilization: a large metropolis probably named after some Noxian general who butchered a whole bunch of innocent Ionians or something. After wandering for about an hour, we stumbled into a totally inconspicuous bar-inn facility and decided get comfortable. I recognized Twisted Fate immediately – if his flamboyant, arrogant laugh, feet on the playing table as if he owned the place, and the many little cards flying around the bar like magic carpets didn’t give it away, the trademark hat and expensive clothing did. Tonight, it was a long overcoat, designer shirt and pants, and white silky scarf that looked softer than poro fur. I’d only taken one step towards the concessions before he waved Dmitri and I over. Two minutes later and he’d sweet-talked me into a simple game of spades, but not before I inquired about the Aquaterre. 

I was an idiot.

I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead as I beheld my awful hand. “Aquaterre,” I restated, gulping. “It’s an old lost artifact, apparently abandoned by travelers from what I read last night. People say it’s mysterious. Mesmerizing.” I made a shape with my hands and accidentally showed some of my cards. Fate’s quick eyes caught on, but his face didn’t show. 

“Your turn, Ezreal,” he said with grin. “Place what you’ve got on the pile.”

“You know what I have. You saw.”

“You accusin’ me of cheatin’, partner?” 

“Uh, no, but—”

“You know, an honest man like myself, I never ever cheat.” His eyes widened. “Never.”

“I definitely believe that,” I said sarcastically. I placed my best combo and decided to go with it. “But seriously, do you know anything about it? Think of the name. Ring any bells?”

He rubbed his chin as a card flew from the deck to his hand. “Hm. Where’d you find this here stone?”

“Noxian mountains up north,” I answered promptly. “Found it in a cave.”

“An old Noxian artifact found in the mountains up north,” he mused, thinking. A card flew from his hand to the pile, shifting between red, yellow, and blue. Suddenly his eyes widened. “Ezreal, is this rock blue and brown? Looks like the planet?”

I snapped my fingers. “Yes! That’s exactly what it looks like. It’s kind of hypnotizing.” My gaze wandered to my glove as I thought about it. “It glows, and for some odd reason, it interferes with my glove’s energy and makes it go crazy. Don’t know why, and if it were up to me, I’d get rid of it in a heartbeat. But Dmitri is interested and we have nothing better to do anyway. Do you know anything about it—”

“Ezreal.”

I looked up at the sound of my name and found myself staring into Twisted Fate’s serious eyes. He rooted his hands underneath the table and leaned forward, suddenly very grave. 

“You best get rid of that stone, Ezreal,” he said solemnly, all traces of humor gone. “You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

I scrunched my eyebrows. “Why? I had my suspicions. I thought it messed with your head. Is that it?”

“I don’t know about that, but it’s more about who’s lookin’ for it, and believe me partner, you don’t want to be runnin’ into the crooks after that thing there,” he stated, pointing at the gem. Dmitri had taken it out and started to stare at it intently. Fate’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Crooks?” I inquired.

“No doubt. Someone’s lookin’ for that gem, been lookin’ for a long a time, and if he finds out you’ve got it, you can cut your life expectancy about twenty years. Get rid of it, Ezreal.”

My curiosity piqued. I had to know what this was about. “Wait, who are we talking about? Gangplank? The Shadow Isles?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s some thug by the moniker of Rosewater. Mauricio Rosewater. Owns about a hundred organized crime syndicates around Runeterra, and he’s as ruthless as they come, more maybe.”

“Wait, who becomes a thug and names themselves Rosewater?” I thought out loud. “There’re endless jokes that can be made about that name. Endless.”

“Sure partner, but you best not get caught crackin’ one of ‘em. He got eyes and ears everywhere you go. One word slips back that you’ve been cheeky and your corpse will be found floatin’. Trust me Ezreal, this is one game I reckon you don’t want to play.”

“And how do you know all this?” I said, folding my arms. “Did you read some webpage or something? I thought you were a risk-taker, always itching to be the daredevil. What happened?”

He gave a wolfish smile. “I’m a risk-taker, not an idiot, partner. I know when and when not to play. To answer your question, let’s just say I took some interest in it some time ago. He hired me to find it for him, and I was bored so I went on ahead. Never could get my hands on it.”

“But you’re still alive,” I mentioned. “From the sound of it, it would seem failure’s not an option.”

“He’s a thug, but he ain’t dumb,” he said, shrugging. “He accepts failure where failure’s due. Speaking of failure, I doubt you have a chance of winnin’ with that hand.”

“You cheater!”

“Aye partner, it’s only cheatin’ if you get caught, and I’m sure you didn’t catch me doing a damn thing.” He placed a card on the pile. “But honestly, you ain’t going nowhere with a hand like that.”

“I can admit I’m not very confident against you,” I confessed.

Twisted Fate laughed. “You’d be a fool if you were.”

“Look Fate, I want to know more,” I said, serious. “About the Aquaterre. I want to know what it does and specifically, why it makes my glove behave that way. And I want to know where to put it. Do you think you could tell me more?”

“That’s all I know, honest,” he replied in a way that inferred he wasn’t telling the full story. “I don’t spend my time inquirin’ ‘bout these things.”

“Seriously. I want to know.”

He looked at me thoughtfully. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. Karma. You know her?”

“I’ve heard of her.”

“Lucky for you, she’s in town tonight, somewhere around here. You find her and you bother her with all your questions. She’s bound to answer. Then, for your own good, you toss that stone. Throw it away. Chuck it in another dimension and never talk or think ‘bout it again.”

I looked over and Dmitri and frowned. “And this Rosewater. He doesn’t happen to have a syndicate here in Noxus, does he?”

“Bet your ass he does.”

“And to think that we’re just lugging it around without a care in the world. Do you think we’ve been spotted with it?”

“I have no doubt someone’s already seen you, so if I were you, I’d lie low before someone comes for my hide. And as soon as you get your answers, you’d better high tail it out of here. In the meantime…” he scooped a load of coins in his direction, my meager bets included. I scowled.

“Cut me a break, Fate,” I complained, hoping for sympathy. I blinked my eyes and pouted. “Come on. Pwease? Don’t I deserve it?”

“Don’t I deserve every pence and coin on this here table?” he smirked, ignoring my babyface.

I opened my mouth for a retort, but a tap on my shoulder stopped me. Dmitri glanced left and right and whispered, “Trouble.”

Fear bubbled through my chest like a icy, penetrating river, but I forced it back down my throat and tried to let the analytic part of me take hold. Trouble. Hm. That could mean a lot of things. Darius and Draven finding us. I doubted that; had they found us, we would be dead the moment they walked in. They knew our faces and were aware that we were trying to hide. It could mean the Aquaterre was lost, but a quick glance over at Dmitri threw that away too. He was holding it tight in his palms. Trouble could mean that we were surrounded, boxed into this bar-inn as enemies lingered out and waited for us to dare to leave. My eyes slid to the windows, but I could see no one lurking in the bushes. A drunken couple waltzed into the facility, dismantling that theory. So that left one thing. Trouble obviously meant someone else was after us.

As more thoughts hit me at supersonic speed, I decided I needed to find out what I was dealing with. Trying to keep my cover low, I minutely looked up from my cards and swept the room...and took sight of the absolute last person I wanted to see that night. The flaming hair. The curvaceous body, large guns in the belt loops, the strong and confident walk. Who else could it be beside Miss Fortune? Of course. Of course the idea of a bounty, my bounty, would interest her immediately, especially since she never liked me in the first place. Of course Darius would call her up and ask her for this quick job, even more possible as she was staying in Noxus, apparently running errands. And of course she’d jump on board without a doubt. Blood fell from my face as I calculated the implications of this, and what her presence could mean now that Rosewater was in the picture. It definitely wouldn’t be a stretch if she’d work for him to get to me. I shivered. Not good. Not good at all. 

Twisted Fate, seeing my predicament, did what he did best: make the odds in his favor. He leaned forward with a smile. “There’s a door near the back, just around the corner from the bathroom. I’ll cover y’all so you can escape,” he leaned closer, “but only if you let me keep the dough.”

“But—but that’s the last of the cash I’ve got on me and—“ I sighed and folded my arms. “Fine. Whatever. Just make sure we don’t die tonight.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

I stood up as nonchalantly and discretely as I could and approached the sign that pointed to the bathrooms, tugging Dmitri along with me. Dmitri, seeing a beautiful woman who’d been checking him out the whole time, sent a smile and a wink her way. I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Do you realize we could die in the next two minutes if we’re not careful?” I said, picking up the pace. 

“You only live once,” he replied cheekily with a thumbs-up. “Where to next, oh prodigal one? Are we headed to a hotel or a slum?”

I glanced back at the table and noticed Twisted Fate making small talk with Fortune. Didn’t know what magic he was working, but he was able to keep her entertained and occupied, all the while keeping the heat off of us. I wasn’t complaining, but his charms were disturbing. I looked closer and realized that, my god, she was blushing. I would have to ask him what his secret was later.

As for now, we were trying to escape with our lives.

Dmitri and I hightailed it out of the bar before we could run into any more issues. “To answer your question, we’re looking for someone, so I guess we could crash somewhere for the night.” I inhaled the crisp, musty, Noxian air, sensing grilled food, booze, and blood everywhere I turned. Heard a scream and a grunt not far from where we were, and saw mangy cats roaming in alleys. It was sickening. Noxus was a sickening place.

“Who are we looking for? A bounty? A target?” He raised his eyebrows twice. “A mate?”

“We’re looking for Karma,” I replied in mock fervor. “Nothing serious. At least, not to me.”

“Maybe, but last time I checked, Ez, Karma wasn’t an artifact,” he said with a knowing smile. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“We’re just going there to ask about the Aquaterre, which, by the way, you should probably stow that thing in your pocket or something, because there are about fifty criminals and assassins looking for it. I think the last thing we need is some mafia prince looking for us because we have a fancy rock.”

“It’s not just a fancy rock. It’s the Aquaterre. It’s an earth stone. And it’s been hidden for years.”

“Please,” I scoffed as we rounded a corner. “You don’t even know what it does.”


	4. Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ez and Dmitri meet Karma. More of a transition chapter, next chapter has more action.

"Please Karma. We need your help,” I pleaded, sending Dmitri a demonic look. “He doesn’t represent my cause.”

I could have punched Dmitri in the face. We’d finally found Karma, who seemed to be attempting to run away from the crowds of people coming to her with problems. She’d finally broken through the masses when we caught her. Hoping that she’d have patience for one more case, we made a mad dash towards her to beat the other dozen with the same idea. We caught up to her first, but before I could utter a word, Dmitri had said plenty; the idiot had started to hit on her, commenting on her figure and skin. I wasn’t surprised when she said a hard slap towards his face.

Karma folded her arms and glared daggers at Dmitri, her eyes glowing green, then set them on me. I gave my best puppy-dog eyes. “We need your help,” I reiterated. Didn’t seem to be working. Dmitri’s eyes were still searching her up and down. My glove started to grow hot. Sensing a losing battle, I finally decided to risk our lives again and retrieved the Aquaterre from Dmitri’s pocket. 

The effect was immediate. Karma’s eyes went wide. “Where did you find that?” she breathed, her gaze never leaving the blue.

“We can talk about if you want, but I’d prefer to do so where there aren’t so many people,” I explained seriously. “We are on the run after all.”

She looked intently at me. “Does Rosewater know already?”

“You know about Rosewater?”

“Okay, so I suppose he doesn’t. Come,” she said turning. “We still have time.”

Karma led us in silence through the harsh streets towards a decent apartment building, her face a mask of unnatural calm. I wondered what she could be thinking, but realized that the calmer and more easy-going we appeared, the less likely we were to be stopped and questioned. Still, the silence and annoyingly snail-like pace was enough to make me want to shoot something. 

We finally climbed the steps to enter a small but cozy inning, full of soft cushion seats, the smell of lavender and fresh fields, and a warm, homey glow. Karma motioned for us to sit down and retreated to the kitchen. I sat stiffly in my seat, suddenly uncomfortable. The last thing I needed was for my glove to go crazy and blow this place away, and I could feel the traces of it there, the unpredictable, uneasy heat on my hand. I retrieved the stone from my pocket and handed it to Dmitri, who had a glazed look in his eye.

“She’s beautiful,” he breathed, fiddling with a wisp of his orange hair. “Like an exotic tiger lily.”

“Get your head out of the gutter,” I snapped. “We’re here for business and business only, so it would help if you didn’t hit on her and make her hate us even more.”

“I can’t control my feelings, Ez,” he drawled seductively, making vomit rise in my throat. He tweedled the stone between his fingers, throwing and catching it. “You know, fairies develop three times faster than humans, so who knows? Maybe I’m old enough to know what love is.”

“You’re half-fairy, dimwit,” I said, snatching the stone and placing it on the table. “Even if you were full fairy, I doubt you could mature past the toddler stage.”

Footsteps told us to shut up. Karma emerged from the kitchen holding cups and plates of small foods. I graciously accepted the nourishments; I hadn’t eaten anything since the little feud with Darius. Stuffing my face, I tried to show some form of manners.

Karma eyed the Aquaterre on the table with nothing but distrust. “Where did you find it?” she asked tentatively. 

I gulped. “Somewhere in the mountains, just sitting there.” I swallowed again and talked behind a mouthful of food. “I mean I’ve heard of sapphires growing in bunches, but never one that blue and that solitary.”

Dmitri scowled. “That’s my joke,” he muttered darkly.

“Why? What does it do?”

Karma frowned and cautiously picked it up. “It’s an old Ionian artifact, lost ages ago. Generations have looked for it, killed for it. And you just happen to find it in a mountain.”

I smiled, blushing. “Well, they do call me the prodigal explorer and everything.”

She nodded. “I know. And who’s this?” she asked, looking at Dmitri and curling her lip.

Dmitri gave an alluring grin. “I’m Dmitri, half-man, half-fairy, and you Karma, are my future wife—“

“ANYWAY,” I cut off quickly. “I know it must do something special. We just barely evaded Darius and Miss Fortune over this thing, and now I heard from Twisted Fate about some guy named Rosewater. What does this all mean? Fate said you would have answers.”

“You better get comfortable,” Karma replied, reclining in her seat. “This might take a while.”


	5. Trouble

“The Aquaterre stone was created by Ionian Elders long ago, by incredible people called the Transcendents.”

“I’ve heard of them before,” I chimed, recalling something I’d read in a book. “Powerful beings that could do a whole bunch of things. I heard they were instrumental in creating and destroying lots of landmarks, even making some mountain ranges. Not going to lie. I thought it was a fable.”

“Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t,” Karma replied, shrugging. “But they talk a lot of the stone in their ancient writings, giving some details to their origins. We’ve assumed that they knew more about it than any of the other ancients. But anyway, they were rumored to be able to step between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Some even say they could travel within other dimensions, other universes. They were beings with more power than you ever imagine. If they wanted, they could have destroyed the world with one spell, one incantation, and in the same breath revive the dead with little more than a thought.

“But they were divided, you see. And they were very mistrustful of each other. The world was large but their ambitions were larger, and they were split over what was morally acceptable and what wasn’t, who would own what and what they would do with the people of the land. What they would be allowed to do with the people of the land. As time went on and war waged, the beings pooled their abilities to create weapons to aid their allied people.” She shivered. “Power that should never go into the hands of man. Slaughter was endless and corruption ran amok. Havoc was everywhere. Fortifications of trust and humanity were crippled and decimated. Cities destroyed, anarchy and chaos rampart.

“The Transcendents knew that they had to stop the bloodshed after one major event: a general from the lands of Noxus infiltrated the beings’ sacred land and killed one of them: General Crokenbury. “

Dmitri stiffened, his eyebrows falling into a black glare. I’d never seen such an expression on him. “Crokenbury,” he whispered hatefully.

“Something tells me—”

“Of course,” Karma said, her eyes softening. “I apologize for bringing up such an event.”

I looked at her, confused. “Crokenbury was the man that ravaged and annihilated Noxus’s fairy population,” she explained. “People always wonder why they are barely any fairies in Noxus, and incorrectly attribute it to migration. Truth was, Crokenbury made it his life goal to eradicate the fairy species. Millions killed. It got to the point that fairies retreated from humanity into the forests, and those who remained among us would never reveal their true selves. Save they get executed. And the trend has continued throughout the ages. Fairies and Noxus generally don’t mix.”

“But he’s dead now, right? He was alive a long time ago, right?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dmitri seethed. “He’s the one who wrote fairies out of the law, who authorized the killing of my people. So technically, he’s the reason why my mother was killed. I’ve read about him. Ruthless, cunning, and determined, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to…to create misery.”

Dmitri got very quiet for a moment. I decided that the worst thing to do would be to prod him. He was like a crab—sensitive on the inside, so when threatened or upset, he retreated into his shell and snapped at anyone who tried to enter. I encouraged Karma to continue the story.

“Crokenbury stabbed the being in the back and finished the job by burning their cities and villages to the ground,” she went on. “While the spirit of revenge almost took control, the Transcendents knew that this was their own doing coming back to haunt them. And they knew they had to make it stop. So, the beings took every weapon created and destroyed them, knowing that by destroying the weapons they themselves would be destroyed. It was the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. Every weapon was vanquished, but before they could finish the job, Crokenbury managed to steal one.”

“The Aquaterre,” I breathed.

“Yes, it is the last sacred weapon that remains. After the destruction of the other weapons left the Transcendents on their knees, Crokenbury murdered the rest of their race and took the stone for himself. Noxus boasts of being the supreme land in the past, and most of its military might was a result of the Aquaterre. Technically, Crokenbury was a key reason behind Noxus’s success, twisted, evil man he was.”

“Oh, and that must be how it was lost,” Dmitri said quietly in realization. I glanced at him. “The books say Crokenbury was last seen wandering into some mountain range and was never found again. His corpse was never retrieved. It wouldn’t be that hard to assume that he had the stone with him, died painfully, and was lost in time. Maybe his body was close to where we found the Aquaterre.”

“And now here it is,” I mused, looking at it. “Years. People killed for generations for this thing, and I just find it lying there.”

“Hey, I found it first. I just led you there,” Dmitri countered.

“We found it.”

“I found it.”

“ _We_ found it.”

“ _I_ found it.”

“ _We_ —“

“And you’ll both be dead by the end of the month if you aren’t careful,” Karma cut in, putting her hands between us. “The reason why the stone is so important has to do with its power.”

“Does it answer any question you ask it?” Dmitri asked randomly. “Because if it did, the first thing I’d ask is for the quickest way to get a date with you, Karma—“

“And what might its power be?!” I asked frantically, noting the vein growing on her forehead. Dmitri was such an idiot.

She glared daggers at him and looked back at me, seeming to fight to keep her composure. “Well, it’s rather simple. It resembles this world, right? That’s what ‘Aquaterre’ means. Water and earth. The stone is a replica of our planet, a miniature model infused with the mythical ability of insight. The holder just has to think of something, anything, and the thought’s location is revealed.”

“Pardon?” I said.

“All the holder has to do is think of something, and the location is revealed,” she repeated.

“So it’s a magical GPS artifact?” Dmitri scoffed. “Honestly? If I thought of an umbrella and a human lung, I’d be able to locate an umbrella and a human lung?”

“It’s more than that,” Karma insisted. “Desires aren’t only materialistic, you know. You can ask for literally anything, anything your heart desires, and—“

“I understand that,” Dmitri said, giving a seductive smile. I narrowed my eyes. “But what does that mean, love?”

“Don’t call me that,” Karma growled, clenching her jaw.

“What does it mean, Karma?” I asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. “By anything, you mean, like, anything anything? Like I could ask for…I don’t know, spicy buffalo wings or something?”

“Perhaps it would be better if I showed you,” she said. She held her hand out, and Dmitri placed the blue rock on her palm. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

To my amazement, the stone began to shift colors rapidly, going from blue to red, to orange, and others blindingly fast. White wisps whirled around, sinking to focus finally on a single scheme. The shift slowed gradually and eventually became one image. I blinked. I recognized that scene immediately. The golden-haired fellow, the vibrant wings, the lady sitting across from them. It was like we were staring down at ourselves from the shoulder of an omniscient God, staring with the all-seeing eye an aerial view of our very bodies.

It was unsettling.

“I thought of myself, Karma, and as you can see, my location is revealed. Along with yours. I could think anything and it would be revealed. I could think of you. I could think of an object. I could think of any place, anything.”

“I see. And you could think of your enemies and spy on them,” I understood. “Imagine being a general with a vivid picture of your foe and what he was planning, his location. You could know whatever you want before it happened. You would have a humungous advantage.”

“Which should explain why the Aquaterre is so sought after. Not just by power-hungry generals, but by people who have lost things and those who are seeking others. I could think ‘love’ and see my soulmate. I could think ‘doomed’ and see someone destined to die. And the other world. Remember the Transcendents were fabled to be able to walk between the world of the living and that of the dead. People have tried to contact the other side with this stone.”

“What happened when they tried?” Dmitri asked.

“No one knows, and I’m not about to try. The other world was not meant for our eyes. To peek would be the greatest sin against nature. Nothing good can come from it.”

“Wait a minute,” I said, thinking. “Then what does this have to do with Rosewater? What does he want with it?” 

  
“Well no one knows for sure, but rumors say that he’s looking for his wife.”

“His wife?”

“Disappeared a while ago. He has been obsessed with her ever since,” Karma elaborated, shrugging. “He did his own searching for years, but there’s only so much one man can do. I believe he might have hired Twisted Fate to find her too, but even he couldn’t find any traces of her. So Rosewater heard of the Aquaterre and realized that it was his best bet. Started to dig for it. That’s when the bodies really started to pile up.” She beckoned me, and I put my hand out. Her green eyes twinkled with concern as she placed the stone in my palm.

“Ouch,” I hissed, jerking my hand away as my glove scorched my skin. “That reminds me. I don’t know what this issue is, but this thing seems to make my gauntlet go nuts. It fired a bolt and almost killed us when we found it, and then it happened again when we were running from Darius.” I stared at the orb, pulsing with energy. “What’s the deal?”

Karma looked up in thought. “Well,” she said, thinking, “maybe it’s the stone’s energy interfering with yours. Your gauntlet is from Shurima, right? Maybe the varying energies aren’t resonating with each other. That could be it.”

“Is there any way I can make it stop?”

“Is there a pattern to its behavior?” she asked.

I shook my head. “It’s been pretty random so far.”

Karma shrugged. “Then I guess you’re going to have to deal with it for now. I can’t think of anything that could help in that situation. Try to fight the gauntlet’s energy when it starts to misbehave, and don’t hold the stone too close to you. Let him,” she eyed Dmitri distastefully, “hold it for now. What’s your name again?”

Dmitri looked offended. “You should know my name, sweetheart.”

“Well I don’t,” she said flatly, folding her arms, “and if this is the way you plan to, as you boys say nowadays, ‘hook me in,’ I suggest you--“

_Knock, knock._

Karma’s gaze rooted to the door, suspicion and apprehension clouding her eyes. I could feel my defenses flying up, my gauntlet warming up slightly. Dmitri’s air of ease froze immediately. Looking at Karma intently, I mouthed, “Are you expecting anyone else tonight?”

She shook her head and stood, a mask of calm shrouding her face. She approached the door calmly and signaled for the both of us to back somewhere. Standing quickly, we retreated to the kitchen.

“Who is it?” I heard her say sweetly as Dmitri and I traveled out of earshot. I looked around the kitchen for a window or any other mode of escape. Dmitri stood rigid in the corner.

“Who’s at the door?” I asked, observing the concentrated look in his eye. I’m no fairy expert, but I know their hearing is superb and a lot better than mine anyway. I looked at him expectantly as his face paled.  

  
“It’s Darius,” he whispered. “He and Draven traced us, and someone saw us walking with Karma.” He shivered. “We’re dead!”

“Not quite,” I whispered back, feeling that intoxicating rebellious fire. “They don’t know we’re here, at least not yet. I trust that Karma will cover for us. We just need to find a way to leave without drawing their attention.” I pushed past him and peeked around the kitchen’s entrance, keeping my body hidden. “We need her to buy us time.”

My position put me just within earshot of their conversation. I waved Dmitri off to find a window or escape route as I listened. I caught sight of Darius’s hulking figure sitting on a comically small couch, right next to the smaller yet formidable figure of Draven. His twin axes lay on the floor next to him, spotless even after the altercation earlier that night. Karma sat across from the two with a placid face yet nervous look to her eye.

“So what brings you two gentlemen to my residence tonight?” she asked conversationally, fiddling with her hair. “I do hope my works in Noxus aren’t disturbing anyone to this point.”

Darius curled a lip, gripping his axe. “I assure you Karma, your ‘magic tricks’ are not the purpose of our visit,” he said harshly, staring her in the eye. “The reason is much more serious. The Noxian government has substantial evidence that points to you housing a fugitive.”

“A fugitive?” she said with convincing aghast. “What fugitive? And what led the authorities to believe such a preposterous thing?”

“You were spotted escorting Ezreal less than an hour ago, speaking to him. As of now you are the last to have seen him, and therefore the most likely to know where he is.”

“Ezreal?” Karma muttered, as if feeling the name in her mouth. My heart sunk. I would have preferred she didn’t mention us at all, but she seemed to have a plan. “I might have seen him earlier as I was leaving an event, but I’m not sure…hm…”

“Look lady, the dumb female act was nice and cute at first, but we know you know something,” Draven chimed, sitting up and flashing those white wolf-like teeth. “If you are indeed playing as dumb as you seem, we suggest you cut the shit and tell us where he’s gone.”

Karma scowled and folded her arms, her eyes narrow. “There’s no need to be rude or vulgar, Draven,” she spat. “I have no information to give. We walked for a moment and spoke briefly, then he departed. That’s it. There’s no more to it.”

Draven opened his mouth to retort but Darius put a hand out to silence him. Seeing Darius smile sent chills down my spine. “Then I guess you won’t mind, ma’am, if we search your place just a bit. Just to make absolutely sure there are no fugitives here at all. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Karma’s face remained neutral, but I could see the panic in her eyes. She knew just as well as I did that if these two found Dmitri and I, they would kill us without hesitation. And the kitchen wasn’t that far from the sitting room. It wouldn’t be hard to find two boys even if we did hide.

“I wouldn’t mind at all, but I’m going to need some kind of warrant,” she said suddenly, standing. “I know that Noxus is a bit…rougher than Ionia but it’s my understanding that even you can’t barge into my home and ravage the place.” I sighed in relief. It was a smart move.

Darius scowled. “Surely you can do without--“

“It’s an understandable request,” Draven cut in with a ferocious grin. “Besides, I have the papers right here. It shouldn’t take that long--“

And then I saw it, right by the left foot of the couch. A scarlet and sandstone feather, familiar, obviously Dmitri’s. And it barely kissing Draven’s foot, just millimeters underneath the couch so that it couldn’t be seen unless, you know, you enjoy looking at the feet of couches. Karma’s eyes met mine, and I frantically tried to point the feather out to her. Dmitri nudged my shoulder, but I ignored him. I paled and prayed, prayed, that Draven would be too cocky and absorbed in himself to see the clue right in his face.

But the other brother’s eyes were just as sharp. “What is that?” Darius asked suddenly, looking at it. He approached Draven and bent over to inspect.

Karma analyzed the scene and averted her gaze, biting her lip. “That’s…”

Darius tweedled the feather between his fingers, crushing its fibers. “What is it?” he snarled mercilessly. “We’re going to need an explanation.”

“It’s a charm I use,” Karma spun quickly but not convincingly.

“A charm for what? For what spell?”

She opened and closed her mouth. “Now you look here, Darius. I don’t remember Noxian officials being able to barge into my home throwing threats around, and I don’t have to tell you anything. Especially when you have no warrant or validation of any sort. I told you what it was. Now if you’d kindly take your things,” she eyed Draven, “and leave my property, I’d be happy.”

“No warrant or validation?” Darius’s smile sent yet another chill down my spine. “I think finding incriminating evidence like this warrants a search on its own.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Just relax,” drawled Draven as he picked up one of his spinning axes. Karma paled. “We’ll do a quick sweep of the place and leave. Promise.”

“But I have nothing to hide!”

“Then there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

I pulled my head back just as Draven looked in the direction of the kitchen. Dmitri huddled in a corner, eyes wide.

“How the hell did you forget that you left a feather there?” I growled quietly. “How does one--?”

“I shed. Deal with it,” he replied angrily. “And that’s the least of our worries right now. How are we supposed to get out of here? There are no windows.”

My mind freefalled. No windows, no doors with a fire escape. I considered letting Karma mislead them somewhere, a bathroom maybe, as we bolted out the door. But they were smart and definitely wouldn’t let Karma show them around as they searched. Besides, to signal now would blow what little cover we had. Maybe one of the other rooms had a window to sneak out of, maybe her bedroom. But how were we going to sneak there without being spotted? It wasn’t going to happen. As Darius and Draven’s search scope neared the kitchen, I could feel my stomach sinking. There was almost no way out. I looked at Dmitri hopelessly.

“I insist that there is really no one here!” I heard Karma cry from the edge of the kitchen corner. I bunched with Dmitri.

Darius poked his head in and stared dead at me, murder in his eyes. “Well, well,” he crooned, stepping in and baring the axe. Blood rushed from my face.

“W-what are you going to do with that?” stammered Dmitri with a nervous laugh. “You can’t do anything with that. You have no proof of anything. You can’t just murder us--“

“Since you are both fugitives of the state, it doesn’t matter what I do to you,” he snarled in response. “And what I plan to do is drag your pathetic carcasses back to Swain.”

“Or,” Draven chipped from behind, spinning an axe, “we could make this easy. Swain wants the stone above anything. We don’t have to kill you. If you just hand it over, Darius and I will just leave and forget this ever happened. We won’t have to give this warm, comfy home a nice red paint job.”

I gulped and stared back at him defiantly.

“Ez, you’re a smart kid. Do you really want to throw your whole life away over something you know nothing about?”

That was a lie. Maybe I wasn’t an expert, but I didn’t know nothing about the stone, at least not now. But I could see his point. This was something that I’d just picked up, something that barely had any strings attached to me. I could toss this stone into oblivion and forget about, maybe face an angry Dmitri, sure, but overall, it was hobby, a pastime. Definitely not worth dying for, and death was close now. Even though my mind zig-zagged, arguing against itself, I knew I couldn’t place our lives at risk over something like this. I reached into my pocket and felt the pulsating warmth of the Aquaterre as Draven gave a predatory grin. “That’s right,” he coaxed. “Just hand it over.”

But just before I could place it in Draven’s palm, a sensation struck me in the brains like lightning, a feeling like no other. It was as if the eye of God had opened and set its sights on me, that gaze scouring across me and Dmitri and Darius and everyone around. I looked up and used my hand to shield my face, observing…an eye? Right above my head? It clicked. I’d felt this feeling before in the Summoner’s Rift arena, if and only if one thing was happening -- Twisted Fate was using Destiny.

How that man could know about our predicament wasn’t on my roster of thoughts. All I could see, hear, and smell was escape filing into my fingers. I watched in grateful awe as cards fluttered and shuffled into view on the kitchen floor, and a portal-like light rose from the abyss to reveal the silhouette of the long-haired, impeccably dressed card shark.

“Fate?” I gasped as he tipped his hat to a glaring Darius. “What are you doing here?”

“Now partner, is that the way you greet someone who risks their hide for you?” he drawled, sending golden card towards Darius as he lunged forward. “Show just a little respect.”

I didn’t hesitate to act, sending two bolts towards Draven and Darius and driving them back. Dmitri nodded and rushed to find an escape route. “Wait,” I called, stopping him. I eyed Fate. "What’s the plan?”

He flung two more jacks at the approaching men. “Gather ‘round and let’s get the hell out of here,” he replied with a slick smile. A heavy sensation hit my forehead as he activated Destiny once more. A deck of cards flew from his pocket and began to spin around him blindingly fast. “What are you waiting for? Get over here!”

Without a thought I rushed towards him as if he were Jesus, Dmitri close behind. A thought hit me just as we got within range of escape. “What about Karma?” I voiced with concern. “We can’t just leave--“

An earsplitting scream resonated from the sitting room, stopping all three of us cold. Impulsively I rushed from escape to find out what was going on, what torture she must have been enduring to howl out like that.

“Ez!” Dmitri cried, but I ignored him. I heard Fate curse just as I rounded near to the entrance. What I saw froze me, blood rushing from my face.

“Ezreal, take a seat,” drawled Darius as he stared me in the eye.

I gulped but didn’t move. My eyes were glued to the scene before me. Karma restrained heavily, shackled by Draven’s bicep with a gleaming, sneering axe at her throat. Obviously there had been a struggle - bruises lined her face and arms, blood dripping from various cuts. She was healing slowly, but it wouldn’t be any use, not any time soon. I was an idiot. In our fervor to escape, we neglected the one person putting her neck on the line for us. My mind went blank as I tried to devise a plan to free her. Impossible, they were too close and any sudden movement could lead to her head rolling on the floor. There was only one thing to do.

It was time to negotiate.

“Sit Ezreal,” Darius growled.

“What’s going on?” Dmitri called, bustling near me. He beheld the scene and paled quickly. “Oh no…”

“Don’t you try any magic tricks, either of you,” Draven snarked. “Especially you fancy pants. Yeah you, Twisted Fate. If we see you three try anything funny,” he tightened his hold and dug the blade into Karma’s neck, “I’ll kill her right here, right now. That’s a nice white scarf, Fate. I’m sure you don’t want it to get dirty.”

“I sure don’t,” he replied steadily, slipping his cards back into his sleeves.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice haggard.

“As if you don’t know,” Darius sneered, rolling his eyes. “Give us the Aquaterre.”

“Yeah Ez,” Draven chimed, bringing the blade ever closer. “This is what you’re gonna do. Take it out of your pocket, walk here really slow, and just lay it on the floor. Then walk back. It’s easy.”

Dmitri stepped forward. “How do we know--“

“Shut up, you filthy half-breed,” Draven barked suddenly, causing the three of us to jump. “You don’t speak unless spoken to, you hear me? If you open your mouth again I’ll slit your throat and watch you bleed out.”

Dmitri’s eyes widened, but I didn’t have time for that. Giving him a warning glance, I finished his question.

“How do we know you’ll keep your word?”

Draven rolled his eyes. “How do I know you’ll keep yours?”

“Well it’s simple analytics, Draven,” I said, shrugging. “We’re the ones with something at stake here. You guys are able to kill without a single thought. Killing her wouldn’t even faze you. Therefore, we’re more likely to keep our word and comply since she’s--“

“You talk way too much,” Darius cut in. “I don’t have time to listen to your calculations. It’s now or never.”

“Can’t we negotiate a little more? Ultimatums are so…absolute,” I muttered. “And when dealing with you two…”

“What do you mean dealing with ‘you two’?” Draven hissed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I put my hands up defensively. “Relax. I didn’t mean it in a insulting way. It’s…I’ll be honest. How can we trust you to take care of the Aquaterre? Especially you. You don’t appeal to authority, Draven. You appeal to yourself. How do we know you won’t chuck it somewhere then come hunt us down later? How can we--“

“Okay, we get it,” Draven snapped. “I guess that’s a…reasonable concern. But whatever. I give you my word that we’ll take care of the stone and makes sure it gets in the right hands. And Darius does too.”

Darius glared at his brother. “I don’t need you to talk for me.”

Draven rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“I still don’t trust you,” I replied. “I just can’t trust that this is the best way to do this.”

I knew I wasn’t serious. This was tricky and tight, but there was a way to wean us out of this situation. I needed to stall for time while Karma healed and Twisted Fate charged his Destiny. If I could time everything right, we could all get out of here unscathed.

Physically, anyway.

“See, Ez, this is the part where I stop caring. We came here for one thing.”

I just looked at him belligerently, having run out of things to say.

“I’m starting to get impatient, Ezreal.” The blade kissed Karma’s neck, drawing a sliver of blood. “You don’t want to see what I do when I get impatient.”

“I just--“

“Just get it over with and hand us the rock. Now.”

An idea. “I want to give it to Swain.”

“Ha, fuck no. Put it down on the ground.”

“I won’t give it to anyone but Swain,” I said firmly.

“Frankly, I don’t give a shit about what you want, and I don’t think she cares either,” he snapped. “Here, let’s ask her. Karma, do you give a single fuck about what Ezreal wants?” Draven released his grip a bit, allowing her to inhale a couple strangled gasps. “Well?”

She exhaled harshly and looked up at her captor, pure hatred in her eye. Biting her lip, she muttered something foreign. Her skin began to glow a faint green as the chanting increased, but by the time Draven caught on, it was much too late. She released a large swell of flowery green energy just as Darius rose to stifle her, blowing both men backwards. As if triggered, Twisted Fate exposed two golden cards and sent them flying, their trails barely missing me. I felt the same sensation on forehead as Fate activated Destiny once more, this time with Karma staggering towards us.

“Hurry up!” I cried to Dmitri as I caught sight of one of them stirring. But Dmitri seemed pretty intent on making sure Karma got ahead first. I couldn’t have that. They had seconds to get moving, and I could already see Draven clawing for his axes, seeming to be foaming with anger.

The two scrambled close as cards fluttered along the ground. With an enraged howl, Draven chucked a spinning axe right at us, right at Karma’s exposed back. The strangled cry left my mouth too late.

A flash of color. I blinked and suddenly the axe was headed toward…Dmitri ? “No!” I yelled, as the axe struck right between his shoulder blades. Rivets of pure red blood pooled and splurted from the new wound like rapidly blooming crimson tiger lilies, followed by his agonized gasp. And like that, time crumbled to a halt, everything ground to slow motion, nothing and everything happening at once. He stumbled on his foot as the axe tore from his back, painting the walls red. Another agonized gasp. A wing twitched. He wouldn’t make it. He was too far from us. His hand flew forward, his fingers brushing my palms.

And just like that, we were gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Started playing Ez, he's really fun, and I thought this story would be cool


End file.
